Augustus s



I (No Model.)

V A. .S. CRANE.

Jewelers Braided Metal lie Stock.

No. 240,096. Patented April 12,1881.

Witnesses: fnzcni'oifs V I Q M/Z/ .f, w mj PETERS, PNOIOJJTMOGRAPHER,WASHniGToN, D C

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

AUGUSTUS S. CRANE, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

JEWELERS BRA IDED METALLIC STOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,096, dated April 12, 1881. Application filed May 22, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, AUGUSTUS SMITH CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at- No. 95 West Kinney street, Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braided Elastic Jewelry Stock and Snake Bracelets, (for which I have received no foreign patent whatever;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Heretofore the braided elastic bracelet referred to has been made by forming fiat strands composed of several fine wires of asingle metal laid side by side and braiding these fiat strands together, so as to form taper tube-like shapes; and where these tubes are to have a taper as for instance, in the case of jewelry having the simulated form of a serpent-the strands are narrowed by cutting off the wires as the braiding proceeds.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to avoid the necessity of forming the strands from several separate wires; second, to remedy the inherent defects found in the articles made therefrom; and, third, to make a lighter, cheaper, and better article. 1 accomplish these objects by using fiat thin strips of suitable width, the outer surfaces of which are given the appearance of the flat wire strands composed of separate wires by means of fine continuous ribs rolled thereon, and these are brought together in the relative positions as shown in the accompanying drawings. I further contemplate substituting fine longitudinal corrugations, showing on both sides of the flat strips, for the tine ribs.

Figure 1 is a back view, and Fig. 2 a front view, of a ribbed strip. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a short section of the strip. Fig. 4 is a view of the upper part of the braided tubular fabric, of the form around which it is braided, and of the six-sided nut to which the flat strips are secured at top for convenience in braiding. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a snake bracelet formed from the braided fabric. Fig. 6 shows a piece of fiat fabric.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I proceed in the following manner: Having made a set of rolls, which are adjustable by set-screws or otherwise, one or both of which rolls are provided with small grooves to form fine ribs R-say eighty or one hundred and twenty to the inchI roll down bars of the metal into very thin strips 1?, one side of which may be plain, and the other side is given a ribbed appearance,which resembles the strand formerly used, which was composed of several wires laid side by side, as previously stated. These thin ribbed strips P, being composed of continuous metal, even when made much thinner and lighter than the separate wire strands, are much more elastic, stiff, and also much more easily and cheaply manufactured, than the strands composed of several separate wires. The fabric, being lighter, will be much cheaper, and at the same time much better, than the old fabric or stock. Instead of making these strips P ribbed on one side and plain on the other, the ribs may be formed on each side; or, instead of ribs, longitudinal corrugations may be formed in and through the strips, or so as to show on both sides instead of on one only. The result is that with much less weight of metal in the completed fabric than where the strand is composed of several separate round wires a superior elasticity is obtained. A number of such thin ribbed strips P are braided together, so as to form a hollow tube, as in Figs. at and 5, forming a structure possessing such elasticity as to endure considerable bending as well as all ordinary wear.

1n forming tubular Work I take enough strands to cover the form, and, securing them at the top of the same in position for braiding, I braid the strips in any ordinary manner around the form. In order to produce the serpent forms I file or shear off one edge of the strips P, so as to give the necessary taper when braided; and when the shape is completed I coil it around a mandrel and subject it to heat, so as to give the appearance of a coiled serpent, as shown in Fig. 5. The fabric being formed upon molds or shapes, is tubular when removed therefrom, and may be of any required size. For some purposes I cut these tubes longitudinally and flatten them out, thereby producing a flat fabric, as shown in Fig. 6, which may be worked up into a great variety of goods in any ordinary manner. As the braiding proceeds, since the metal strips are somewhat stiff I wind soft iron or other wire around the braided part from time to time to hold it in place.

The nut N is shown as six-sided, but may have any even number of sides.

E is the form, on and around which the strips are braided by laying them over and under each other, as shown and described.

Owing to the fact that the flat continuous strands P can be made thinner than the wire strands formerly used without diminishing the elasticity or spring of the fabric when formed in coils or in circles, the fabric F will endure more bending without becoming set than the fabric formerly made, and consequently it may be used in goods made in single-circles or bands, as well as in spiral form,without the aid of clasps to secure the ends or independent springs to keep the shapes originally given.

It is evident that the strip P may be rolled flat or plain upon both sides, or ornamented with a variety of figures or designs, and still be used to form a braided elastic fabric having many of the qualities and some of the appearances of the fabric shown and above described. This fabric would answer as a substitute for that resembling braided-wire strands; or the ribbed strip P might be braided in with the flat or plain side out; and a variety of effects may be produced by using metal of different kinds and colors in forming the fabric, as green, red, and yellow gold, silver, and platinum.

I claim as my invention- 1. The jewelry stock shown and described, composed of ribbed strips P braided together.

2. A snake bracelet made from ribbed strips P braided in tubular and tapering form.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of May, 1880.

AUGUSTUS S. CRANE.

Witnesses:

AUGUST HOHMANN, GEORGE A. HAMMEL. 

